Remembering
by Evil Pharaoh Atem
Summary: in memory of Elle. Atem has left the world of the living to rest in peace at last. however, he has left so many behind. so many have moved on. all but one. YYY
1. Dealing with Departure

Disclamer: i do not own yugioh...damn.

Authors note: this storyis dedicated for my dearfriend Elle who diedrecently. this is my way of dealing with it. writing a story about death, and the rebirth of life.i love you elle.

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**Chapter One: Dealing With Departure.**

The walls and ceiling of an ancient tomb started to crumble. Those inside needed to escape, but even though there was falling stones all around them, not one touched the retreating members. Something or someone was protecting them as they escaped from the tomb that anyone thought would become their's.

"what happens now?"

A blond boy asked a smaller spiky haired boy that stood next to him. The small boy was staring at the tomb of the pharaoh he once knew as his best friend and companion. He was now gone, and the boy was all alone. He felt empty inside, and though he was glad to see the pharaoh's fate finally coming to an end after so long, he wanted the other to continue living in his world, his time.

"Yugi, are you alright?"

the blond boy asked as he saw a small tear escape the boy's eyes. Just a moment before he was saying goodbye to his best friend, and now he saw his tomb. Was this what it was like when someone died? Was that what happened to Atem? Was he finally able to die, rest in peace? It felt like it was. Yugi was staring at his tomb, and he would never see Atem ever again. The only way he could see him was within his memories, but that wasn't enough. Within time he knew he would forget little things, things he wasn't able to remember perfectly. He would soon forget his voice and laugh and soon some of his features. However, what he wouldn't forget was the devotion he received from the pharaoh. He wouldn't forget the friend the pharaoh brought him and the adventures. He wouldn't forget the lessons he was taught and the bravery he grew thanks to the Pharaoh. No, the pharaoh will always be in his memories, but that wasn't enough for Yugi. He wanted someone to comfort him when he was sad or to talk to him when he was lonely. He wanted his pharaoh back, his partner.

"We live, Joey. We simply live and remember what the Pharaoh taught us, what Atem taught us. That's all we can do. Just live. Live and remember."

**_Five Years Later..._**

And with that, the large group parted. Joey moved away soon after to live with his mother and sister. Tea moved to America to become a dancer. Duke along with Pegasus remained in America as well, producing more and more Duel Monsters related things. Marik, Ishizu, and Odion all remained in Egypt finding a new fate for themselves now that their family's mission was finally over after 5,000 years. Tristan moved some where without a word, and Seto stayed with Kaiba corp. Everyone seemed to part their separate ways. Now that Atem was gone, the reality of their own lives sunk in. There was nothing here in Domino anymore. Just memories of what happened when they were kids. All starting over a simple card game.

However, one person remained in Domino. Yugi Motou had inherited his grandfather's game shop when he passed away. Yugi was on his own now, in his twenties, and the old days still haunted him. Every now and then, he found himself still reaching out for his Millennium Puzzle. He still searched his minds for some remnance of Atem. Some hint that said that he wasn't gone, but nothing was found. He was normal once more, only having one mind in his body. He didn't have anyone to talk to that could understand how he felt. Atem was always there, and could always tell when there was something wrong even if yugi denied it.

"I know I promised to keep living for Atem, but it seems so hard. I feel so empty. My soul, my heart, ripped out of me when he left. Its five years later and the pain still has not left me. Five years later and I wish I could still speak with him."

He whispered to himself as he closed up shop for the evening. Everything felt so empty now. Even Duel Monsters lost its spark. He received an email a year after Atem left, from Pegasus. No one had heard of yugi at any tournaments lately. Yugi had to explain that he retired from the game. It was to much for him to handle. Not to mention the fact that the game seemed like a silly game now. The magic, the shadow magic, was gone. The life that he once found within the paper cards was gone. He still kept his cards though. He still held onto his memories. He would never let go. He never wanted to forget. He couldn't. His memories were the only thing that kept him sane. They were the only thing that made him feel like he was not abandoned. Perhaps that was why he stayed in Domino. In hopes that by some luck, Atem would return to this world. He would return to him, and he would be whole once more.

It was time for dinner. Nothing fancy. The same thing he normally had for the past month. Ramen. It wasn't great, but it was the only thing he seemed to have the energy to make anymore. He sat in front of the TV, watching the news in hopes to hear something of his friends success, but tonight there was nothing.

A knock, that was all it took to distract yugi from the television set and his thoughts. His thoughts of loneliness. His friends had not called or contacted him in anyway since they all moved on. Why had yugi not moved on? He would tell himself it was because of the shop. It was his now and he had to take care of it. He couldn't get rid of something that his grandfather worked so hard for.

Yugi walked to the door. When he opened it, there was no one there. Yugi sighed and was about to close the doors once more when an envelope fell to his feet. It simply had his name written on the outside of it. It didn't seem special, but to yugi it was. Only because he knew there was something about this note. He had recieved plenty of notes, bills, and other things like that, things that seemed so unimportant and insignifacent, but this time, there was something.

_"...he has returned..."_

The note inside said. Yugi looked at the note confused and then looked at the address written on the tope of the stationary paper that the phrase was on. The Ishtars. It had to be Atem, but how? How could he be back from the afterlife?


	2. Attempted

**Disclamer:** _i do not own yugioh...damn_.

**Authors note:** _this storyis dedicated for my dearfriend Elle who diedrecently. this is my way of dealing with it. writing a story about death, and the rebirth of life.i love you elle_.

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**Chapter 2:** _Attempted_

_'...he has returned...'_

Yugi read that note over and over, trying to get the thought out of his mind that the note was speaking of Atem. There was no way that Atem had returned. He was in the afterlife. He was dead, well in a sense he was. Then yugi thought on it more. Could atem be considered dead? He didn't really have a body. What happened to his body back in Egypt? Did it die when his soul was trapped in the puzzle. That would mean that Atem was dead to begin with. If that was the case it wasn't like anything could happen with Atem.

Wait?

That thought? It startled yugi so much. He had never thought it in his whole life. He never thought about it in the five years after Atem left.

"I want to be with him?"

He asked himself as he shut his eyes tightly and crumpled up the piece of paper that the Ishtars had sent him.

"It doesn't matter now. There is nothing that can be done about it now."

He muttered as he went upstairs to his room for sleep.

"Its stupid to think that Atem could come back. The only reason he came to me was to ask my help. I served my purpose. He doesn't need me anymore. I doubt he even thinks of me."

Yugi muttered to himself as he walked up the dark staircase and up to his room.

Ah the darkness.

It reminded him of Atem. Atem was his darkness and his was the light. Now without Atem with him, he felt dark himself. His loneliness was drowning him.

"Why am I here?"

He asked as he stared into the mirror. He came in to brush his teeth and wash his face, but his thoughts stopped him from doing that. He just kind of forgot about it.

"My destiny is done right? There is no need for me here. I was only born to help Atem make sure the shadow games never returned. I've done that. Couldn't I go with him?"

He looked down at his sink. Nothing special there. A razor, toothbrush, tooth paste, mouth wash, wash cloth. Normal bathroom sink things. This house felt so lonely now. He would always remember his grandfather and Atem in the house. Remembering all the times the three of them were in the house. Now those times were over, all because Atem and Grandpa died.

"Why! Why was I so easy to leave behind?"

Where did that outburst come from? Yugi opened his eyes from the sudden burst of emotion to find his hand embedded in the wall right beside the mirror he had been looking in a moment before. He looked shocked, like someone had taken over his body and did this. It couldn't have been him. He looked into the mirror and found that he was crying. He didn't remember starting. he was sad, yes, but he had not been crying. One moment he was sad, the next angry, now he was crying?

"I don't understand anything anymore."

He muttered and picked up his razor.

"So, this little piece of metal could end someone's life if used correctly? what a laugh. Who would be so stupid?"

_'Don't do it.'_

A voice came in his mind, but the voice wasn't his own. The voice just made his freeze. He knew it. It had been so long since it rang in his mind, but he remembered it. More tears were shed as Yugi fell to his knees, the razor falling from his hand. What had he been thinking? Killing himself? The thought had come to him before, but never once had he attempted it. He felt to chicken, to afraid, of killing himself. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but now it didn't seem like anyone would care. No one talked to him anyway. Maybe they had forgotten him. Maybe his death would remind them he was still there. The only two people that he knew cared for him had left him years ago, and now he was left alone to grief. How unfair.

_'I just wanted to be with you, and you had to leave me all alone.'_

He thought as he accepted the fact that he was in love with atem. Why else would he be as upset as he was over atem after five years.

In fear of trying anything more, yugi got up from the floor, leaving the razor on the floor. If he touched it he could blank out and do something he would regret. Like the wall.

"I should call someone about that tomorrow."

He muttered dully to himself. He looked down at his hand, finding blood and wood pieces in his hand. He chuckled lightly as he realized it didn't hurt. The blood tickled his hand as it fell, but no pain.

Yugi crawled into bed and softly cried himself to sleep. It wasn't like anyone would come into comfort him. It seemed that nowadays it was the only way for him to get to sleep. Sleeping pills stopped working on him. He just lay in the darkness, sleeping, and thinking about the note. It seemed that note brought up old emotions that he didn't want to uncover. Now his sorrow was back, and time did everything to make him feel worse then he had five years ago. And everyone says that time heals all things. Time made him worse, feel more alone.

As yugi cried to himself he felt something comforting touch him. It was warm and inviting. He had felt it recently, but never really thought about it. In all honesty, that feeling never really came until he was almost asleep. If he did remember it, he would think it was merely a dream and lose hope the next day.

_'Aibou, never lose hope. I'm still here. I've not left you.'_

Ghostly arms wrapped around the sleeping form. Yugi let out a small coo and smiled lightly. The smile was one he would only give in his sleep, seeing as it was a smile he gave when he was truly happy. And lets face it, he has not been happy since his grandfather and pharaoh left him.

_'Just wait a little longer and I can hold you for real. Only a little while, yugi.'_

He ghost whispered to him before he planted his lips on yugi's forehead. A small ghost of a tear fell down the apparition's cheek. He couldn't feel yugi. No matter how much he wanted to, it wouldn't happen. The ghost from yugi's past faded away just as the boy's eyes slowly opened. He thought he heard a voice, but nothing was there.

"A dream."

He whispered before he closed his eyes once more and feel back to sleep. A dream filled sleep that he would surely forget by morning.


	3. why did you save me?

1Days passed, then months, and soon a whole new year was born for the spiky haired boy. Each day more agonizing then the last. It was because of that note. That damn note had been on his mind for a year. He had just waited for a knock on his door, Atem would be on the other side, and yugi would attack him, but that never happened. That letter lied to him, his friends had lied to him. Now he felt more alone then ever.

Slice

the cool metal ran across his soft flesh so easily, smoothly. And then there was red. Yugi stared at it. This time there was no voice to tell him no. to tell him to stop. Atem's voice must have faded from his head now. Atem had completely left him now, and this made him cry. He ran to his kitchen, and started to fill the sink with water. As it filled a drop of blood would fall casually into the water. Momentarily there would be a spot of red that started to slowly fade into nothing.

Yugi chuckled.

It was like him. His blood was like him. Dropped in the world where his pain consumed him. Soon he would fade away just like the blood in the water.

Once the water level made it to the depth that yugi needed, he dunked his hand into it, the water still falling from the faucet. He watched, watched as the dark red blood started to consume the clear water. Yugi smiled. Now he would consume something. He would make some impact on the world now. He would be in the news papers.

'King of game commits suicide.'

Now people would care about him, but at the same time, he wouldn't care. He would be dead, away from it all. No media hype, nothing. He was only happy when atem was here. Maybe now he would be able to be with him now. He was the only thing worth living for.

Things started to fade slowly, as he heard his heart beat quicken, beat harder, within his ears. He could feel his legs getting weak. He was starting to fade away slowly. It was hard to keep his arm inside the water now.

He fell

laying on the ground now, split wrist up in the air facing the ceiling, and tears sprouting from his violet eyes. How could one person do this to him? No, it wasn't just atem, it was everyone. Everyone just left him, and now it was his turn to leave.

"Yugi, no!"

That voice. It brought a smile to his lips as he felt it lift him up in its arms. He looked up, his eyes hazed from the blood loss. He couldn't see anything, it all went dark, and now he went limp.

'I was lied to.'

'No you weren't'

'Everyone left me.'

'No we didn't'

'You left me'

'I'm right here. Please, yugi open your eyes.'

'I don't want to.'

'Please yugi, open your eyes!'

Against Yugi's wishes he could feel himself waking up once more into the world. He had failed. He could hear a small beep to his side and as he woke up more, the beep grew louder, and seemed to be moving closer. His body didn't really want to respond to him, but he could feel something on him, and in it. His violet eyes started to slowly open. His fingers twitched and his eyes wondered to one side. His wrist was bandaged and there was an IV in one arm. He chuckled. He found himself in a hospital gown and bed. He could smell the latex from the gloves the doctors used constantly. He could smell that he was in a hospital, that annoyingly clean, latex smell about.

"Yugi?"

He heard a familiar voice coming from his other side. Yugi's reaction, close his eyes. It wasn't real it couldn't. It was just his mind playing another trick on him. Effects of the blood loss.

Those thoughts slowly faded when he felt a warm hand rest firmly on his forehead. Yugi opened his eyes and looked over to his side. His eyes didn't go wide or anything, well maybe just a little. The site before him didn't seem to be real, but the touch on his forehead proved that it was real. Atem was sitting at his bed side, tears falling from his reddened eyes. Atem was really here.

"How?"

Yugi squeaked almost so quietly that it was almost unheard.

"I have my ways."

Atem said with a soft smile, glad to see that yugi was ok. Happy to know that he wasn't too late.

"Why? Why did you save me? I was coming to see you."

Yugi said, his voice weak from his fatigue. Atem chuckled once more and grabbed a hold of yugi's hand softly, brushing his thumb against yugi's knuckles.

"What would be the point of you dying if I was already in this world?"

He whispered lightly. A small blush came to Yugi's pale cheeks. Perhaps this was a dream. maybe he really was dead with Atem. Who knows. Nobody really knows what happens after death. Or if he was alive, his mind could just be playing a trick on him thanks to the blood loss. Yugi then sighed, figuring it was best to stop thinking about it.

"You didn't stop me this time. I didn't hear your voice this time telling me to stop."

He squeaked as tears started falling from his eyes once more. He released Atem's hand, but Atem didn't let it go. He held yugi's hand tighter.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to get to you, to surprise you. I didn't notice anything was wrong."

Yugis head fell to one side once more, looking away from atem once again.

"It doesn't matter, you are just going to leave just like everyone else."

He muttered and Atem's eyes looked hurt once again as he heard yugi's depressed voice. How could yugi think that atem would leave him again? After he worked so hard to return.

"I'm not going to..."

"Just go away."

Yugi said, snapping back his hand from Atem. Atem just sat there, looking at yugi in disbelife. Why would yugi think that about Atem? He had come back for him.

"Im not going anywhere."

Atem said in just over a whisper.

"Why not? You left me before, why not do it again?"

He muttered in his pillow.

"Because I don't plan on leaving behind the one I love when he is in pain."


End file.
